Rope cutting device



Nov- 18, 194 k c. M. MCCARTHY ROPE CUTTING DEVICE Original Filed May 31, 1938 Patented Nov. 18, 1941 Charles M. McCarthy, Minneapolis, Minn.

May 31, 1938, Serial No.

Original application Dividedan d this application March 14,1941, Serial No. 383,255

3 Claims.

This invention relates to a cutting device and while said device might have various applications and be used for cutting various articles, it is particularly designed for cutting strands of material such as rope.

Trouble has heretofore been experienced in cutting the standard twisted rope. It has been impossible or diflicult to have a cutter which would easily and quickly cut the rope and produce a clean cut at right angles to the length of the rope. There has been a tendency for the rope to crush somewhat and untwist so that there would be uneven tufts or strands of fiber at the cut end.

It is an object of this invention to provide a simple and efiicient cutting device by means of which rope can be easily and quickly cut and by means of which a clean cut at right angles to the length of the rope can be had.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a cutting device for rope or similar material comprising a member having a slot or groove extending transversely therethrough through which a rope may extend together with a cutter having a convex edge pivoted at one side of said slot or groove with means for swinging said cutter across said slot or groove to sever the rope with a drawing cut.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a cutting device as above set forth together with a guard disposed at one side of said cutter and also swingable toward said groove.

It is more specifically an object of the invention to provide a cutting device for rope or similar material comprising vertically disposed slightly spaced plates having an opening extending transversely thereof adapted to receive a rope, a disk cutter of general elliptical shape pivoted at one side of said opening and having a handle by means of which it may opening to sever said rope with a drawing cut.

It is also an object of the invention to provide a cutter as set forth in the preceding paragraph which also has a plate at either side of said cutter substantially parallel thereto swinging about the pivot of said cutter toward said opening, said plates also being of general elliptical shape together with means for swinging said plates toward said opening.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will be fully set forth in the following description made in connection with the accompanying drawing in which like reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the several views and in which:

be swung across said Lil Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the device;

Fig. 2 is a view in side elevation showing a piece of rope in vertical section, some parts being broken away and others shown in vertical section;

Fig. 3 is a view in side elevation showing the parts in a different position; and

Fig. 4 is a View in vertical section taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 2 as indicated by the arrows.

Referring to the drawing a cutting device is shown comprising a pair of vertically disposed and slightly spaced plates l0. Plates I0 will be suitably supported and while various means might be used for this purpose, in the embodiment of the invention illustrated they are shown as disposed between the vertical fianges of oppositely extending angle bars I] and secured thereto by the headed and nutted bolts I2. Spacers 9 are disposed between plates I0, through which spacer I bolts l2 pass. Angle bars It thus have oppositely extending horizontal flanges forming a support for the device and these flanges are provided with holes Ha through which bolts or screws may pass for securing the device to a support. Plates ID are also shown as being connected by rivets l3 extending through the same adjacent one end. Plates II] are provided at their upper sides with aligned U-shaped slots or grooves Illa. An opening is thus formed adapted to receive a rope such as shown as I4 and said rope can conveniently extend through said opening. A disk cutter I5 is provided, the same having a convex cutting edge IM and while said cutter might be of various forms, in the embodiment of the invention it is shown as of general elliptical shape, one side being approximately rectilinear. Disk [5 is pivoted for swinging movement about a pivot 16 secured in plates I0 and extending therethrough. Disk cutter I5 is further disposed between plates l0 so that it can swing between said plates and across the opening formed by slots Illa. A handle member I! having a handle portion Ila is secured along one side of disk cutter l5 by the rivets I8. Member I'I comprises two flat strips disposed respectively at either side of disk l5. A pair of guard plates I9 are provided and these are also swingable about pivot IS. A plate I9 is disposed at each side of disk I5, said plates being substantially parallel to disk I5 and also to plates I0 and being respectively at the outer sides of the latter as shown in Fig. 4. Plates [9 are also of general elliptical shape and are somewhat larger in area and extent than disk cutter l5 as shown in Fig. 2. Plates H) are connected adjacent one end by a rivet 20, a spacer thimble 2| being disposed between said plates through which rivet 20 passes. Plates I9 will also be spaced at the pivot member I6. A tensile coiled spring 22 has one end secured to a pin 23, which pin is secured in one of the angle members II. The other end of spring 22 is secured to a pin 24 secured to and projecting from one plate I9. Spring 22 extends over the top of the projecting end of pivot l6.

When a rope is to be cut, the same is disposed in the opening formed by slots Illa as shown in Figs. 1 to 3. Handle member I! is swung to the left as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. Handle member I! engages the spacer 2| plates [9 to the left or counterclockwise placing tension on spring 22. To cut the rope the operator now takes hold of handle Ila and swings disk cutter l5 clockwise and the edge l5aengages rope l4 and severs the same with a drawing out. The rope is held snugly against platesl and the disk cutter l5 passes therethrough severing the same withia clean'sharp out leaving the end of the rope at right. angles to its length. When the cutter I5 is swung clockwise spring 22: also swings the guard plates I-9- clockwise and they swing until they engage the rope M as shown in Figs. 1 and 3. The knife is thus well guarded until it engages the rope M. The spring 22 moves plates I-9 so that cutter [-5 is always covered and the operator protected. The operator therefore, cannot get his fingers in between the edge of the cutter l5 and the adjacent edge of therope. The guard plates. are held in the position shown in Fig. 3 by the rope as the cutter moves on through the rope. When the rope is severed the handle Ilais again swung to the po sition shown in Fig. 2 in which position, it will remain by gravity.

From the above description it will be seen that I have provided a very simple and efiicient rope cutting device. The rope can be easily and quickly cut with a clean sharp out leaving no hanging threads or fibers. The cutter is well guarded by the plates. I9 and a very safe device is thus provided. The device is easily constructed of standard material and; is Very rugged and. durable. The same has been amply demonstrated' in actual practice and found to be very successful and efiicient.

This application is a division of applicants coand moves thev guard pending application filed May 31, 1938, Serial No. 210,907.

It will, of course, be understood that various changes may be made in the form, details, arrangement and proportions of the parts, without departing from the scope of applicants invention, which generally stated, consists in a device capable of carrying out the objects, above set forth, in the parts and combinations of parts disclosed and defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A device for cutting rope having in combination, a pair of rigid slightly spaced parallel plates disposed substantially in vertical planes, said plates having aligned round-bottomed slots sothat a rope may be placed therein and extend therethrough, a disk cutter pivoted to said plates at one side. of said slots, said cutter having a curved convex edge adjacent said slots, plates at each side of said cutter and movable therewith adapted to engage a rope in said slots at either side of said cutter and a handle for swinging said cutter across said slots between said plates to sever said rope, said: cutter moving between said plates.

2. The structure set forth in claim. 1, said last mentioned; plates being movable away from said slots by said handle and a spring urging said plates toward said slots.

3. A device for cutting rope having in combination, a pair of rigid slightly spaced parallel plates disposed substantially in vertical planes, said plates having aligned slots extending. transversely therethrough being open at their upper ends so that a rope may be placed therein from above and extend therethrough, a disk cutter of general ellliptical shape eccentrically pivoted to said plates at onesideof said slots; a handle secured to said cutter for swinging the same. across said slots and between said plates to cut a. rope therein with a drawing out and a pair of plates of general elliptical shape disposed at each side 'of and substantially parallel to said cutter and also swingable about the pivotal axis of said cutter and means for swinging said plates to engage a rope insaid slots and hold it against-the bottom of said slots while being severed by said cutter;

CHARLES M. MCCARTHY. 

